Light-coloring screen



-April 15, 193o.

A. KNALJBER LIGHfI1 coLoRING SCREEN Original Filed NQv. '7, 1927 jl Q 20jdr /ZZ' Ese- Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED sTATEs ALEXANDER M. KNAUBER,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS LIGHT-COLORING SCREEN Application led November 7,1927, Serial No. 231,406. Renewed September 23, 1929.

\ The invention relates to improvements in light-coloring means,generally known as a color screen, by the use of which light rays aregiven characteristic colors by passing them therethrough.

The present invention relates especially toso-calledlight-coloring-screens that are used in connection withelectric lamps in theatres, dance halls and the like, for coloring theflood lights that `are projected upon or about the stage of a theatre oron suitable surfaces in other assembly halls.

The color screen as herein disclosed is especially adaptable for use infront of lamps for border lights, proscenium lights, cyclorama lightsand the like for illuminating the stage of a theatre, altho the devicehas many and varied uses as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Heretofore perishable substances of a gelatinous nature have been usedto give color to the light rays for this purpose. Celluloid, tamidineand the like have proven to be unv satisfactory. Gelatine is shortlived. It very 2" soon crissels and becomes brittle and breaks up as aresult of the intense heat from the lamps to which it is subjected.Celluloid is explosive or combustible. Glass as used heretofore has notbeen practicable because the localization of heat in large plates ofglass sets up such intense internal stress that very often causes theglass to explode with violence and scatter its pieces around and aboutto the great danger of persons near by.

One of the objects o-f the invention is to make a durable screen of highefficiency.

Another object is to make a screen plate in separable plate sectionsleaving room for each sectionplate to expand freely in all directions. j

A further object is to provide a frame from which the smaller platesections are freely removable and readily replaced.

A still further object is to provide a composite plate which may containmany section plates, of various colors, whereby the field of light willbe a composite of all of the blended colors to produce many and variouschromatic effects.

Another object is to provide a metal frame in which glass plates may beused with no resulting danger of injury to the plates or objects in thevicinity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a colorscreen of the character described which may be efciently andexpeditiously taken down and reassembled in different order to producedesired composite, blended, or chromatic effects.

Other objects, advantages and benefits will readily appear to personsskilled in the art from a consideration of the following description andof the drawings forming a part hereof, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation, with parts in section, of Ia deviceembodying principles of the present invention. i

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken substantially along line II-II ofFigure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken substantially along line III-IIIof Figure 1..

Figure 4f is a fragmentary elevational view o-f the upper part of Figure1.

Figure 5 shows the device equipped with substantially transparent ortranslucent means of different colors. Y

In all the views the same reference characters are used to indicatesimilar parts.

The structure arbitrarily selected to illustrate an embodiment of theinvention includes a substantially rectangular frame l0 preferably inadeof metal, such as sheet metal, copper being highly desirable since it isa good conductor of heat, the temperature being thereby equalized to abetter degree throughout the screen.

When the screen is in use,it is customarily placed in front of afloodlight box containing powerful electric lamps from which the lightis concentrated to some extent upon a zone near the central area of thescreen. Plates or panes 11, preferably of glass fit loosely in therespective sections of the frame so that they each may expand in alldirections with out affecting any other plate andV without stressing theframe.

The heat from electric lamps reaches its maximum effect very quickly andwhen it is concentrated upon the central zone of a screen of the typecomonly known heretofore, the

metal and glass cannot disseminate the excessive heat with sufficientcelerity to avoid the disastrous results effected by sudden expansion ofthe highly heated area.

This is especially true if the screen consists of a single large plateof glass, or when a plurality of smaller plates are placed in a tightfitting frame. This result is cxaggerted'when the metal of the frame isa relatively poor conductor of heat. W'hen the metal 01' the frame isnot a good conductor of heat, the inside surface (that next to thelamps) will expand more rapidly than the outside surfaces thereo, thuswarping or bucklingtheframe and breaking the plates. To overcome theseobjections, the colored plates 11 are ferably made rather thin, andmounted oosely in their respective sections, of the frame.

Another refinement or advantage presented in my structure consists otthe facility with which the small plates of glass may be insented andremoved from the trame for repair or to make up a polychromat-ic screen.

The outside members of the rectangular frame consist of three channelbar members 12, laand 14, leaving the upper end, as shown im Figures 1and 4, of the drawings, without a channel bar. These channel bars arepretl stably made of sheet copper. Theyl are mitered at the corner 15.The bars 12 and 14 extend vertically from the bar 13 when the screen isin use. There aretwo parallelV intermediate bars liand 17. The bars12-17 are ual in width and they are all channel bars, ut bars 16 and 17are provided with double channels, as shown in Figure, while the bars12-14 haveA only one channel. The upper ends of all of the Vertical barsareconnectedtogether by an angle strip 18. Wlien flat plates 11 only areused, the strip 20, as shmm in` Figures 1 and 2, may also be used.

then the'plates have lateral protuberances like bulls eyes, the strip 20ymay be omitted.. as shown in Figure 4.

The plates 11 are freely slidable between adjacent vertical bars and maybe readily removed and replaced. Separatingtransversely positionedchannel bars 21 overlie the upper edges-of the plates 11. The ends ofthe channe bars 21 lie within the channels of the vertical bars and arefreely slidable therein.

Thesides of the margin of the plates 11, therefore, do not ordinarilytouch the ribs forming the channels ot' the vertical bars. The crossbars 21 move in all. directions with the plate and in that way the plateis protected against injury due to warping of the fmme.

closure strip 22 is slidable over the strips 18 and 20 and closes theopenings through which the plates pass into the respective sections ofthe frame. The closure strip also adds-strength to the upper edge of theframe.

As Seurin-Figure 2, the uppermost panes are spaced considerably belowthe closure member 22, so that the panes may expand upwardly by simplyforcing superposed panes and short bars 21 thereabove.

To remove plates 11 and bars 21, the cover 22 is slipped oli' and theplates and cross bars are moved vertically from between the verticalbars. Then glass plates of differing colors are placed in the frame, asshown in Figure 5, the iield oil illumination is a blended compositecolor.

' It will bev observed that the plates 11 do not ordinarily make contactwith the vertical bars 12 to 141 inclusive, nor with any one of them,and consequently the plates 11 are substantially unali'ectedrby bendingof the vertical bars to the extent to which the terminals theiot aredisplaced in actual'use.

From the foregoing', it will be apparent that I have provided a colorscreen of the character described hereinA which utilizes a plurality otindividual andl removable panes incorporatedy in a frame in such amanner that the panes may freelyexpand in any direction. Moreover,various polychromatic and blended effects are obtainablewithA thepresent invention by properly adjusting the same, and due to itspeculiar construction the device is extremely dur-able, exceedinglysimple in operation, and may be economically manufactured.

I amy aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromvthe principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated bythezprior art.

I claim as my invention 1. A light-coloring screen comprisinga framehaving a plurality of parallel, fixed and spaced channel bars to receivea plurality of glass plates therebetween; glass plates between adjacentbars and freely slidable therein; and transverse channel bars betweenthe fixed bars and separating the adjacent glass platesthe transversebars andthe plates being removable.y

2. A screen, ascharacterized by claim.1,in which the transverse channelbars are entirely within the transverse outlinesof the fixed bars.

3. A screen, as-characterized by claim 1, in which the transverse barsand thel plates therebetween are freely slidable between adjacent fixedbars.

4. A light-coloringy screen having a frame comprising parallel'iixed andspacedchannel bars, a plurality of rectangular glass plates betweenadjacent fixed bars and transverse channel bars separating said adjacentplates, said plates and said transverse bars' being loose and free toexpand without warping the screen.

5. A ligl1t-coloringscreen comprisingiarectangular irame having aplurality of spaced, fixed parallel bars, a plurality of loosetransverse bars between adjacent fixed bars and a plurality of glassplates between adjacent fixed bars separated by the transverse bars,said plates and transverse bars being loosely supported in said frame.

6. A screen, as characterized by claim 1, in

a plurality of fixed frame members, panes slideable between adjacentframe members, and means for separating adjacent edges of said panes.

10. In a device of the character described, a plurality of fixed bars, aplurality of panes loosely mounted between said bars, and a plurality oftransverse bars loosely mounted between adjacent edges of said panes.

11. In a device of the character described, a frame, and a plurality ofindividual panes mounted therein in such a manner that said panes mayfreely expand in any direction.

12. In a device of the character described` an open sided frame, aplurality of channel bars in said frame, a plurality of panes looselyslideable between adjacent channel bars, channel bars transverselyslideable between adjacent said first mentioned bars for separating thepanes, and a removable closure for the open side of said frame.

13. In a device of the character described, a plurality of framemembers, panes mountable between adjacent frame members, and

means to separate adjacent edges of said panes, said panes and saidmeans being free to move in all directions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, CookCounty,

Illinois.

ALEX. M. KNAUBER.

